Support structure for gutter cover

ABSTRACT

A structure for mounting a gutter cover on a new rain gutter or an existing rain gutter, wherein the gutter cover prevents debris from entering the gutter. The cover support structure is comprised of a lifting strut that supports the leading hooked frontal edge of a gutter cover, two stabilizing struts that interlock with the hooked edge of a frontal rim of a gutter trough, a connecting strut that connects the lifting strut to the stabilizing struts, and a junction where the lifting strut and stabilizing struts converge.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This nonprovisional patent application claims the benefit of ProvisionalApplication No. 60/659,817 filed Mar. 9, 2005 for SUPPORT STRUCTURE FORGUTTER COVER.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to a rain gutter, and more particularlyto a support structure for mounting a gutter cover on a new rain gutteror on an existing rain gutter, wherein the cover is installed using asupport structure that does not require fastening devices.

2. Description of Prior Art

The literature is replete with various systems for keeping debris out ofrain gutters, while allowing water to freely enter and be conveyed bythe gutter.

Layton, U.S. Pat. No. 2,271,081, teaches a rain gutter comprising a “U”shaped trough member supported by hangers and a cover. The cover hasstaggered slots or elongated apertures. The cover is held in place bypins and by nesting with a comparably hooked frontal edge of the troughmember.

Ealer, Sr., U.S. Pat. No. 6,151,837, discloses a gutter screen forcovering a gutter, where the gutter screen is a cover that preventsdebris from falling into the gutter. The gutter screen has a frontal “V”shaped leading edge that attaches to the frontal edge of the trough,which has an inward turned lip, wherein the frontal “V” shaped leadingedge receives and secures the inward turned lip. The rear edge of thegutter screen is disposed between a first course of shingles on the roofand the underlying structural roof. Rows of depressed channels areprovided in the cover for directing rainwater through slots in thecover. Each channel and slot is sized so that water is directed into thechannel through the slot and into the gutter and such that debris is nottrapped in the channel or slot. There is no discussion of how the coveris supported across the width of a sectional length of cover.

Pietersen, U.S. Pat No. 5,640,810, discloses a gutter cover for reducingthe amount of debris entering a gutter. The cover is positioned over agutter by having a rear fastenable edge that is secured between a firstcourse of shingles and the underlying structural roof, and a frontaledge that rests upon the frontal edge of the gutter. The cover, which iscomprised of an elastic material, has a thin portion, which acts as aliving hinge, therein allowing the cover to pivot upwards away from thegutter frontal edge, for repair and cleaning. The cover is provided witha plurality of recessed perforations, which receive rainwater whiledebris washes over the cover.

Vahamaki, U.S. Pat. No. 5,271,191, teaches a gutter shield which coversand prevents debris from entering through the open top of a gutter. Thegutter shield is attached to the gutter by a frontal edge, which isfastened by screws to the gutter and a rear edge flange secured betweenthe first course of shingles and the underlying structural roof Theshield has a plurality of parallel vanes, of which each has a series ofslots for receiving rainwater. The slots are sized so that debris willnot pass into the gutter.

South, U.S. Pat. No. 3,550,381, teaches a perforated cover whichattaches over the top of a rain gutter. The gutter is provided withfrontal and rear edges (both upper and lower) having a “U” shapedchannel, and periodic vertical mounting devices having an upper downwarddirected “U” and a lower upward directed “U” (i.e. like curtain rod),wherein the bracket serves as an interlocking channel to secure the backwall of the gutter. The perforated cover has a “U” shaped rear edge, anda flanged frontal edge, such that the frontal edge of the gutterreceives the flange of the cover, and the upper rear edge of the gutterreceives the “U” shaped rear edge of the cover, wherein the rear edge ofthe cover is also partially secured by the mounting device. There is nodiscussion of how the cover is supported across the width of a sectionallength of cover.

Shouse, U.S. Pat. No. 4,616,450, teaches a rain gutter having a guttershield for preventing the ingress of particulates into the gutter. Thegutter shield has a solid upper surface and a generally vertical frontalsurface that has a first row of rain guiding apertures and a second rowof rain receiving apertures inscribed therein.

Sullivan et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,209,741, discloses a removable screenattached over a top portion of a gutter to prevent entrance of foreignmaterial into the gutter.

Jacobs, U.S. Pat. No. 5,398,464, discloses a gutter system having astrap for supporting a screen on the gutter. The screen allows thepassage of rainwater there while preventing the entrance of foreignmaterial into the gutter.

Richard, U.S. Pat. No. 6,732,477, discloses a gutter cap suitable forretrofitting existing gutters. The gutter cap is comprised of a slopedcover, which uses the attraction of water to bend water around a hookededge as it drains across the sloped cover and ducts into the trough.Mounting blocks that snap onto the cross struts of the gutter are usedto attach the gutter cover to the gutter and the mounting blocksinterlock with the hooked edge of the cover.

Richard et al., Pub. No. US 2005/0000167, discloses a gutter coverhaving a unique interlocking bracket. The bracket is shaped like threeextended fingers, where each finger is a strut and the struts convergeat a junction. The bracket has a lifting strut that hooks to the frontaledge of a gutter cover, a stabilizing strut that has a hooked end thatinterlocks with the hooked edge of the frontal rim of a gutter trough,and a bracing strut that is a leg stemming from the junction to thebottom portion of the gutter.

With the exception of Richard U.S. Pat No. 6,732,477 and Richard et al.Pub. No. US 2005/0000167, the foregoing systems are designed to beinstalled as a complete unit and not suitable for retrofitting anexisting rain gutter. The majority of the prior art does not provide ameans to support the width of the sectional length of a gutter cover.Support adds strength to the long sections of the cover, which can besubjected to substantial weight if debris collects on the cover.Although Richard U.S. Pat No. 6,732,477 and Richard et al. Pub. No. US2005/0000167 provide a means to support the width of the cross sectionallength of a gutter cover, these systems are designed to work with hiddenhanger system and not a spike and ferrule mounting system. What isdesired is a structural support device that provides support along thewidth of the cross sectional length of a gutter cover and that can beutilized with a spike and ferrule mounting system, as well as with ahidden hanger mounting system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a support structure for mounting a guttercover, wherein the gutter cover is facilely retrofitted to an existingrain gutter as well as to a new rain gutter. The invention isparticularly suited for use with an aluminum sheet metal rain gutter.The trough of the gutter has a main channel with a curvilinear frontwall and a rear wall that is substantially straight. The cover supportstructure is comprised of a lifting strut, two stabilizing struts, aconnecting strut, and a junction where the lifting strut and stabilizingstruts converge. A distal end of the lifting strut provides support to aleading hooked frontal edge of the gutter cover and a proximal endintersects the junction of the support structure. The proximal end ofthe lifting strut includes an aperture ⅜ inch to ½ inch in diameter toallow passage of a spike and ferrule. Each stabilizing strut has ahooked end that distally interlocks with a hooked edge of a frontal rimof a gutter trough and a proximal end that intersects with the junctionof the support structure. The lifting strut and stabilizing struts arejoined by at least one connecting strut, wherein the connecting strutenhances the strength of the lifting strut and stabilizing struts. Theconnecting strut includes an aperture ⅜ inch to ½ inch in diameter toallow passage of a spike and ferrule.

Conventional aluminum rain guttering is installed with fastening deviceswhich are attached to a fascia plank. A fastening device typically hastwo sectional components, a cross strut for supporting the front wall ofthe trough and a hanging strap for supporting the rear wall. In somevariations of the fastening device the bottom of the trough issupported. The present invention enables quick installation of thegutter cover. Multiple support structures are positioned along thetrough at intervals sufficient to provide support for the cover andpreferably are positioned approximately two feet apart from one another.The support structures rest on top of a spike and ferrule or hiddenhanger mounting system. Each support structure is secured byinterlocking the distal end of the lifting strut into the frontal curvedportion of the cover and interlocking the distal ends of the stabilizingstruts into the folded edge of the rim of the gutter trough.

The gutter cover is aligned over the trough and then a longitudinal rearedge of the cover is inserted under the course of shingles or againstthe fascia plank of the roof The cover is pushed until the leadinghooked frontal edge of the gutter cover is contacting the distal end ofthe lifting strut of the support structure. The cover is then secured tothe roof with a fastening means. In a preferable embodiment, the distalend of the lifting strut has a curved end that has the same curvature asthe hooked frontal edge of the cover, wherein the penetration of thedistal end of the lifting strut into the hooked frontal edge of thecover creates a partially interlocking attachment. The attachmentprevents the cover from lifting in high winds, and becoming dislodgedfrom the gutter.

The support structure is fabricated of materials that have goodperformance and outside aging characteristics. The support structure canbe made of materials including, but not limited to, plastics, metals, orcomposites. If the support structure is made of plastic or composites ofplastics, it can be formed by plastic injection molding. Additionally, asupport structure that is made of metal or composites of metal can beformed by casting or extrusion.

The cover can be connected to a roof by a plurality fasteners includingnails, staples, screws, and similar fastening devices. The cover isseated so that it slopes downward from the fascia plank or the rooftoward the front wall of the trough. The longitudinal hooked frontaledge terminates inside the trough.

When a gutter is installed utilizing the invention, the cover deflectsdebris and collects rainwater. Rainwater coming off the roof is ductedacross and down the width of the flat sheet of the cover, and flows,circumferentially, around a curved path and down the longitudinal hookedfrontal edge, and drops off into the trough. The upper surface of thecover is coated so as to be easily wetted by water, such that surfacetension is sufficient so that the rainwater adheres to the surface. Therainwater's adhesion to the surface of the cover causes the water totrack through an arc scribed by the longitudinal hooked frontal edge,without flying off tangentially. Debris is deflected by the cover, andexcept for small detritus conveyed by the rainwater, debris is excluded.The surface of the cover does not have any projections onto which straw,leaves, etc. can hang up and collect. Also the surface does not becomeeasily fouled.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other objects will become more readily apparent byreferring to the following detailed description and the appendeddrawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a gutter cover with the supportstructure as it is installed on an aluminum sheet metal gutter andhidden hanger mounting system, where the proximal ends of thestabilizing struts intersect with the junction and the hooked distalends of the stabilizing struts interlock with a hooked edge of a frontalrim of a gutter trough.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a gutter cover with the supportstructure as it is installed on an aluminum sheet metal gutter with aspike and ferrule mounting system, where the proximal ends of thestabilizing struts intersect with the junction and the hooked distalends of the stabilizing struts interlock with a hooked edge of a frontalrim of a gutter trough.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the support structure.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the support structure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIG. 1, the inventionis a support structure 10 for mounting a gutter cover 30. The guttercover 30 is installed on a sheet metal rain gutter 50, preferably madeof aluminum. The rain gutter 50 has a trough 52 with a front wall 58, abottom 56, and a rear wall 54. The rain gutter 50 is attached to a wall(not shown) of a house with hidden hanger 40. The gutter cover 30 has asubstantially flat region 34 that is coextensive and underlying a courseof shingles (not shown). The cover 30 is supported by lifting strut 12that extends from junction 20 of support structure 10. The distal end oflifting strut 12 is curved, and protrudes into the inner surface of thefrontal curved portion 32 of the cover 30

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the support structure 10 has four struts, alifting strut 12, two stabilizing struts 14 a, 14 b, and a connectingstrut 16. The lifting strut 12 and the two stabilizing struts 14 a, 14 bconverge at junction 20. Connecting strut 16 connects the lifting strut12 to the two stabilizing struts 14 a and 14 b. The distal end 112 oflifting strut 12 is curved, wherein the curvature matches the curvatureof the frontal curved portion 32 of the cover 30 (as shown in FIGS. 1and 2). The proximal end 111 of lifting strut 12 is integral to supportstructure 10 at junction 20. The proximal end 111 of lifting strut 12has an aperture 13 to allow passage of spike 42 and ferrule 44 (as shownin FIG. 2).

Support structure 10 also has two stabilizing struts 14 a and 14 b.Hooked distal ends 114 a, 114 b of the stabilizing struts 14 a, 14 binterlock with folded edge 62 of the gutter rim 60 (as shown in FIGS. 1and 2). Similarly, the stabilizing struts 14 a, 14 b are integral tosupport structure 10 at junction 20 at the proximal ends 115 a, 115 b(115 b not shown).

The support structure 10 also has a connecting strut 16 that connectsthe lifting strut 12 with the stabilizing struts 14 a and 14 b. Theconnecting strut 16 has an aperture 18, to allow passage of a spike 42and ferrule 44 (as shown in FIG. 2).

As shown in FIG. 2, the support structure 10 can also be installed on asheet metal gutter 50, wherein the gutter 50 is attached to a wall (notshown) by a spike 42 and ferrule 44. The support structure 10 isdisposed on spike 42 and ferrule 44. The connecting strut 16 has anaperture 18, to allow passage of spike 42 and ferrule 44. Similarly,spike 42 and ferrule 44 pass through aperture 13 (as shown in FIGS. 3and 4) of lifting strut 12.

The support structure 10, as illustrated in the drawings, has twostabilizing struts 14 a, 14 b, having a thickness that is narrower thanthe gap created by the folded edge 62 of rim 60. The curvature is highenough that the hooked distal ends 114 a, 114 b of stabilizing struts 14a, 14 b will insert into the space defined by the fascia edge 64 (asshown in FIG. 1) of gutter 50 and engage the folded edge 62 of rim 60.The lifting strut 12 does not have similar thickness constraints. It ispartially limited only by the curvature of the frontal edge 32 of thegutter cover 30. An arced lifting strut 12 would enable the use of athicker strut, and the inventors recognize this as a potential variationof the support structure. Similarly, there is no limitation on thethickness of connecting strut 16. The various struts need not be thesame thickness and can be as wide as practical, where practical is afunction of the cost of manufacturing, and the cost of installation. Thesupport structure can also have more than one connecting strut 16 toprovide additional strength.

It is anticipated that individual features of the support structure canbe changed, however, with substantially no effect on the overridingfunctionality and operative elements. Likewise, the cover can also bemodified, as illustrated in the embodiments to adapt to differentmounting needs, with substantially no effect on the overridingfunctionality and operative elements.

It is to be understood that the foregoing description and specificembodiments are merely illustrative of the best mode of the inventionand the principles thereof, and that various modifications and additionsmay be made to the support structure by those skilled in the art,without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.

1. A support structure for mounting a gutter cover to a gutter, saidsupport structure comprising: a junction for at least three struts; alifting strut having a distal end that can support a frontal edge ofsaid gutter cover and having a proximal end that is integral with saidjunction; at least two stabilizing struts having distally hooked endsthat can interlock with a folded edge of a front rim of said gutter andhaving proximal ends that are integral with said junction; and at leastone connecting strut that connects said lifting strut to saidstabilizing struts.
 2. The support structure of claim 1, wherein saidlifting strut has at least one aperture and said at least one connectingstrut has at least one aperture, said apertures allowing passage of aspike and ferrule.
 3. The support structure of claim 2, wherein saidsupport structure can rest on top of a hidden hanger mounting system oron top of a spike and ferrule mounting system.
 4. The support structureof claim 1, wherein said support structure can rest on top of a hiddenhanger mounting system or on top of a spike and ferrule mounting system.5. The support structure of claim 1, wherein said support structure canbe retrofitted to an existing rain gutter.
 6. The support structure ofclaim 1, wherein said support structure can be fitted to a new raingutter.
 7. The support structure of claim 1, wherein said supportstructure is made of plastic.
 8. The support structure of claim 1,wherein said support structure is made of composites of plastic.
 9. Thesupport structure of claim 1, wherein said support structure is made ofmetal.
 10. The support structure of claim 1, wherein said supportstructure is made of composites of metal.
 11. The support structure ofclaim 1, wherein said distal end of said lifting strut has a curvaturethat is comparable to the curvature of a frontal curved portion of saidgutter cover, thereby creating a partially interlocking attachment tothe frontal curved portion of said gutter cover.
 12. The supportstructure of claim 1, wherein said support structure is formed byplastic injection molding.
 13. The support structure of claim 1, whereinsaid support structure is formed by continuous extrusion.
 14. Thesupport structure of claim 1, wherein said support structure is formedby a casting process.
 15. A method of providing support along the widthof a cross sectional length of a gutter cover, comprising the steps of:obtaining a rain gutter; obtaining a hidden hanger mounting system forsaid rain gutter; obtaining a gutter cover suitable for fitting new raingutters or retrofitting existing rain gutters; obtaining a fasteningmeans for securing said gutter cover to a roof; obtaining multiplesupport structures for a gutter cover, wherein each said supportstructure is comprised of a junction for at least three struts, alifting strut having a distal end that can support a frontal edge ofsaid gutter cover and having a proximal end that is integral with saidjunction, at least two stabilizing struts having distally hooked endsthat can interlock with a folded edge of a front rim of said gutter andhaving proximal ends that are integral with said junction, and at leastone connecting strut that connects said lifting strut to saidstabilizing struts; attaching said gutter to a house with said hiddenhanger mounting system; positioning at least two said support structureson top of said hidden hanger mounting system along a trough of saidgutter at intervals sufficient to provide support for said gutter cover,by interlocking said hooked distal end of said lifting strut with saidfrontal end of said gutter cover and interlocking said distal hookedends of said stabilizing struts with said folded edge of said front rimof said gutter; aligning said gutter cover over said trough of said raingutter, wherein a longitudinal rear edge of said gutter cover ispositioned under a course of shingles or against a fascia plank of aroof; pushing said gutter cover against a roof until a leading hookedfrontal edge of said gutter cover is contacting the distal end of saidlifting strut of said support structure; and securing said cover to aroof with said fastening means.
 16. A method of providing support alongthe width of a cross sectional length of a gutter cover, comprising thesteps of: obtaining a rain gutter; obtaining a spike and ferrulemounting system for said rain gutter; obtaining a gutter cover suitablefor fitting new rain gutters or retrofitting existing rain gutters;obtaining a fastening means for securing said gutter cover to a roof;obtaining at least two support structures for a gutter cover, whereineach said support structure is comprised of a junction for at leastthree struts, a lifting strut having a distal end that can support afrontal edge of said gutter cover and a proximal end that is integralwith said junction, said lifting strut also having an aperture forpassage of a spike and ferrule; at least two stabilizing struts havingdistally hooked ends that can interlock with a folded edge of a frontrim of said gutter and having proximal ends that are integral with saidjunction, and at least one connecting strut that connects said liftingstrut to said stabilizing struts and that has an aperture for thepassage of a spike and ferrule; attaching said gutter to a house withsaid spike and ferrule mounting system; positioning at least two saidsupport structures on top of said spike and ferrule mounting systemalong a trough of said gutter at intervals sufficient to provide supportfor said gutter cover, by interlocking said hooked distal end of saidlifting strut with said frontal end of said gutter cover andinterlocking said distal hooked ends of said stabilizing struts withsaid folded edge of said front rim of said gutter; aligning said guttercover over said trough of said rain gutter, wherein a longitudinal rearedge of said gutter cover is positioned under a course of shingles oragainst a fascia plank of a roof; pushing said gutter cover against aroof until a leading hooked frontal edge of said gutter cover iscontacting the distal end of said lifting strut of said supportstructure; and securing said cover to a roof with said fastening means.